WIMA PeerCast

Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance, Incorporated (WIMA) was formed in 2018 in response to an opportunity to operate a peer run respite in Western Wisconsin. The values of WIMA’s predecessor, Milkweed Connections, LLC, guided the development of a non-profit “sibling” organization. WIMA is a peer run organization. This means that all people involved in the organization, including the Board of Directors, Management, Employees, and Volunteers, identify as someone who has experienced challenges related to trauma, substance, use, or other difficult life circumstances, and is committed to providing support services from a peer perspective. WIMA is guided by values consistent with the consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement (also known as the peer recovery movement). These include a belief in the possibility of healing and recovery, a focus on choice and self-determination, and an understanding of the social and environmental factors that play a role in an individual’s experience. ABOUT OUR NAME WIMA is named for the milkweed plant, which is essential for monarch butterflies at all stages of their development. Female monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed, and monarch caterpillars rely on milkweed plants to grow and develop. The many different species of milkweed plants throughout the United States provide monarch butterflies with food throughout their long migration journeys. The scientific name for milkweed is Asclepias, named for Asclepius, the Greek god of healing. We hope that, like the many varieties of milkweed, WIMA can provide many opportunities to support individuals on their journeys to wholeness.